Canepa: Ugly loss proves Chargers are worst team in NFL

Mike Scifres is a terrific punter, but when the punter has been your best player as you approach the season’s halfway point, there’s a problem.

Sunday, most of the problem(s) came from the offense. Quarterback Philip Rivers, who these days only gets into a pitching rhythm when he’s running the two-minute offense — why Norv doesn’t speed things up totally escapes me — had another poor day on the mound.

It’s impossible to say what the deal is, but his wide receivers are having trouble getting open — they’re near the bottom of The League in receiving yards — and when they do, there are drops. Playmakers are lacking.

Wide open receiver Robert Meachem’s drop of a perfectly thrown long pass by Rivers in the third quarter that looked like a 51-yard touchdown likely cost his team the game. Don’t blame the wet ball. Meachem failed to keep his eyes on it. Rookie mistake by a veteran.

Hard to blame the defense, but look who it was playing. The Browns’ offense is terrible, and other than one brief moment, when fine rookie tailback Trent Richardson broke loose from safety Atari Bigby’s Antonio Cromartie-style tackle and sprinted 26 yards for a first-quarter touchdown, that was all Cleveland really did.

No, it was the offense. Norv said he would simplify it during the bye week, and he did. Nine of the Chargers’ first 10 plays were runs, and they were doing fine on their initial drive until backup tailback Jackie Battle couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-one at the Browns’ 30.

No touchdowns. Against Cleveland. There is no excusable defense for this offense. It is Norv Turner’s offense. It is Norv Turner’s team. This one was something your neighbor’s dog left on your lawn. Inexcusable.

As Jim Mora put it: “Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs. Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game.”

Norv won’t say that. But if his team doesn’t toughen up and find a spine, he might want to write it down before his valediction.